


Kill the Failure

by NocheTriste



Category: Akame ga Kill!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 22:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3626268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NocheTriste/pseuds/NocheTriste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not all men in the Empire's army were bad. Some had secrets to hide and reasons to justify their acts. This story is about another survivor of the Partas clan whose very history was erased from his homeland. The story takes place 4 years before the series' main events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The girl under the ruins

~Year 1020 on the Imperial Calender~

Nina was afraid.

She saw her daddy's body getting skewered by those cruel soldiers.

She despaired when she watched her mother being taken away by men who bore disgusting looks on their faces.

The little, fragile girl was hidden deep within the ruins of her old house.

Earlier this month, she was told by daddy that everything would be alright. She was told by mommy that war would never come near her.

But those were all revealed to be lies in the end.

The merciless ice crushed the warriors of her tribe as the troops of the general they all call "Esdeath" advanced.

The little girl closed her eyes as she couldn't watch more of it. She didn't want to see her own kind mercilessly massacred by the soldiers of the Empire.

Sounds of men yelling and women crying could still, however, be heard.

She shivered, out of both fear and cold.

Nina felt powerless. She felt utterly useless.

And then, once everything calmed down, the little girl slowly opened her eyes.

Nothing was the same as before.

Everything changed.

Nothing remained of her whole village.

Everyone was dead around her, there were no signs of life anywhere.

The soldiers already got what they came for, so they left.

With a desperate effort, the girl slowly and cautiously crawled out of the rubble she hid within.

She walked around the village, looking for something.

Suddenly, a voice came out from behind.

"Girl. Are you the only one who remained alive here?" it asked.

Instantly, she turned around, hoping to see one of her kind. Maybe a man who miraculously survived just like her?

However, all her hopes were destroyed the moment she saw the long coat of the voice's owner.

Yes, the white-haired young man in front of her was part of the Empire's army. His uniform said so.

He was with the ones who killed daddy and took away mommy.

"So? What's your answer?" he started to grow impatient.

Nina was so speechless she could barely move.

Was she going to die?

Was it all over for her?

No. No. She couldn't die now.

The young man sat up and walked towards her.

She didn't want to die.

Her heart beat faster as the soldier closed in.

"Come with me." he said, handcuffing her.

Tears flowed down the little girl's face.

The petite prisoner wanted to flee, but she would probably be caught with no problems.

"Now, let's go." the white-haired young man ordered, dragging her along with him.

It was a long walk. No words were even spoken during the whole time.

The soldier to whom she was a prisoner didn't speak.

Instead, he let his actions tell what he wanted.

Every single time she fell down and didn't get up, he would take out a clean knife and cut her somewhere on the arm or leg.

It was freezing cold, but unlike the young man, she didn't have a coat.

***

Finally, the two reached a camp full of soldiers from the empire.

"Hey, Ausfall, what are you pulling there? Oh? Is that a prisoner? Another one?" a soldier spoke to the young man.

Ausfall looked at the one who talked to him and frowned. "Never enough." he simply replied.

"Haha, have fun torturing your hundredth one then."

Ausfall nodded and dragged the bleeding little girl with him.

"Come, this way."

Nina's tears dried up. She didn't have the power to cry anymore. The little girl walked with an expression which was deprived of life.

It was as if she was already dead.

The fragile girl could however still hear and see what was going on.

Women from her village were crying in pain. She could even see some of her friends being tortured by the soldiers in an open area.

Was that her fate? Was that how her life was going to end?

She didn't mind anything anymore.

"There. Go in." Ausfall pointed at a red tent. "That one is mine. And please do not sneak out of it while I'm going for a stroll. If I find out, you'll be in deep trouble."

The inside looked warm and comfortable, even if there were no blankets.

So warm and so comfortable that it made her suspicious.

However, again, Nina just obeyed.

"Please rest here." the young man said while closing up the tent.

And she fell asleep, tired of living.

***

When the sky turned dark, Nina opened her eyes, having recovered a bit of her strength.

From inside the tent, she could hear a certain conversation.

"What do you mean by that?" Ausfall's voice spoke.

"You aren't meant to fight alongside us." a snob voice said.

"You are a failed soldier, a failed experiment, as well as a failed person. Nothing you do can possibly go right. You should just quit the army and go back from where you came from." another one spat.

"My hometown was eradicated by the Empire. There is nothing left, dastard." the young man calmly replied.

"Get lost. The Empire's army has no purposes for you."

The girl frowned. What in the world were those two talking about?

And then, a few soldiers from behind chanted. "Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!"

And the girl fell back asleep.

Ausfall wasn't hurt at all.

He didn't feel anything from the words of those fools.

While he walked through the camp for one last time, Esdeath spotted him and hit up a conversation.

She seemed to be quite curious.

"You know, you surprise me. Why not kill off those good-for-nothing whiny fools when you have the power to do so? I saw it back there. All of it." she cruelly smiled.

The young man stared at her with his dark, cloudy eyes.

" It's 'cuz they aren't worth my time." he simply said.

"Are you just going to stay there and do nothing? I've seen you on the field of battle. It makes you look like a coward when you can just step on them like dirt."

"Maybe so, ma'am. Maybe so. Maybe I am a coward."

***

Nina could hear the footsteps of someone who's approaching.

She could knew that the young man was back.

The little girl wasn't sleepy, but she acted as if she were sleeping, in case something might happen to her if he found out that she woke up.

The young man entered the tent with a sigh and closed it from the inside.

"Fools. Don't know what they're doing. Don't know what they're serving." he muttered in a low-pitched voice.

Then, he took off his long coat and sat down, ready to sleep.

However, he quickly got up, having forgotten something.

He stared at the little girl and sighed again.

Ausfall, with what strength he had left, laid his coat on his prisoner like a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

***

Nina woke up alone on the next morning covered by somebody's coat.

"Kid? You up?" A head emerged from outside of the tent.

"Um..." The little girl drowsily rubbed her eyes.

Ausfall then slowly walked in with a bowl of soup.

"Drink." he said, presenting the soup to her.

"..." She stared at the bowl.

Certainly, it seemed delicious, but she was afraid.

Maybe it was a trap? Maybe he wanted to pull the soup away and cruelly laugh as she desperately tries to grab it?

The young man, however, just placed breakfast in front of her and left, saying "Try to eat it as quickly as possible. We're taking the road again in an hour or so."

Did the soup happen to be poisoned? Nina was still suspicious.

However, after a while, starvation got her and she started to eat.

It had a more bitter taste compared to the taste of the soup she grew accustomed to ever since she was a kid, but it somehow faintly reminded her of her mother's recipe.

She didn't know why, but it just did.

The young man emerged once again into the tent, saying "By the way, that is the last meal you'll have until we get back to the Capital. We're out of food, so be prepared."

Then, once she was done eating, the two waited for the rest of the army to get back on their feet.

Somehow, during the walk, Nina heard a stomach growling beside her.


	2. The humanist soldier of the Empire

When the army came back to the Empire, celebrating victory, Ausfall didn't take a single second to pass by a shop nor a bar to get drunk like many other soldiers. Dragging his prisoner of war with him, he quickly walked back home.

"Here it is. My house." he pointed at the current place he lived at.

Nina observed the small and somewhat cryptic house she was going to reside in.

It was very modest compared to the fancy ones nobles had.

Ausfall then took out the keys to his house and opened the door.

"Come in. No one else live in here." He told the little girl, showing her to follow him with a hand sign.

She obeyed without a slight moment of hesitation.

Once both were inside the house, the young man closed the door and locked it from the inside.

There was warmth inside this house. The kind of warmth she grew used to at her house, in the village she lived.

"Alright. Now, girl." the young man took a seat on a sofa. "What is your name?"

Nina froze up. He almost never spoke to her since the first day they met, but now he voluntarily started a conversation with her.

"C'mon. Tell me. What is your name?" the young man started to get impatient.

"Nina." she replied in a small, broken voice.

"Ah... I see... Well then, Nina, how old are you?"

"Thirteen..."

Satisfied, Ausfall stood back up. "Alright. Take a seat and wait for me here. I'll go get something upstairs."

The little girl stared at her master. Did he just say "Take a seat'"? She couldn't believe it. Coming from him, it was most unusual.

"Didn't you hear me? Take a seat."

Sensing Ausfall's frustration, she quickly jumped on the same sofa the young man sat on a while ago.

It took just about a minute for her master to climb up, grab something and rush down the stairs.

"Alright. Now, girl. Show me your arm." he said, while opening his box.

She lifted her terribly mutilated arm and pointed at the deepest cut she received during the travel back.

The young man sighed, took out a humid handkerchief and wiped his prisoner's arm.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

Tears flowed down the girl's cheeks.

It was as if this one act of kindness brought her consciousness back to life.

She recalled the death of her father and the kidnapping of her mother and let out a pained cry.

Ausfall, however, payed no attention to it, as if he was used to these kind of things. He still, however, lowered his head, as if he wanted to offer her his condolences.

Once her arm was wiped clean, the young man took out a roll of bandage and wrapped her arm with it.

"Don't worry. I used a clean knife to make those cuts. You won't fall ill."

Nina nodded awkwardly.

Why was he even being kind? Why was a murderer trying hard to patch her scars?

Her stomach growled.

It was normal, since she had barely ate a thing since her arrival to town.

"Just a moment." Ausfall walked away again.

From the living room, Nina could hear him grumbling and opening storages.

He was then seen coming back with a plate of bread, milk and cheese.

"Eat." he simply said.

The words he pronounced didn't sound like orders anymore, but rather suggestions.

She timidly poked the bread. It was freshly baked and seemed very delicious.

But she didn't dare to take it, as a reflex gained from the past day.

"Nina, when I tell you to do something, especially when it involves eating and health, do not be so shy. Please, make yourself at home when I'm around."

Home.

The words brought yet another storm of memories. Pleasant ones, this time, as the little girl remembered her mother baking cake for her, and her father telling her stories before bed time.

Ausfall sighed once again and took a small piece of bread in his hand and fed his prisoner.

The little girl chewed, slightly enjoying the food's flavor and texture.

"Alright. Just help yourself now. I'm not that hungry." the young man said, while drinking from a glass of milk.

The little girl stared at him while continuously shoving pieces of bread in her mouth.

"Hm? Anything you wanna ask me? If so, then spill it."

"My name is Nina... What is yours?" she timidly asked.

The young man managed a small smile, which surprised the little girl. "My name is Ausfall. Call me whatever you want though. I wouldn't mind as long as it stays polite."

The little girl nodded as she drank from her own separate glass of milk.

"You''ll need to be ready for tomorrow night." the young man declared. "Please rest and recover as much as you can."

Nina frowned. "Uh?"

"Tomorrow night I'll escort you out of the capital and reach the borderlines between the Revolutionary Army and the Empire. I'll be handing you in their care."

The little girl batted her eyes, as she couldn't understand what he was talking about.

"Simply put, tomorrow night, you and I will have to go somewhere. Somewhere you will be able to stay safe. Rest assured, in two days, you won't be having to put up with me anymore."

"But... But why?"

"Because as long as you stay here, you will be constantly in danger." Ausfall emptied his glass and placed it back on the plate. "You can't stay with me."

"I won't be seeing you anymore?" she asked.

The young man shook his head, smiling. "Nope. You'll be free of me. Happy?"

The little girl started to cry.

"Huh? What is it, Nina?"

She wiped her eyes. "But I just met you..."

Ausfall scowled. "Stop crying. You will have to do it either ways. I can't care less about how you feel. You'll be safer over there."

"But you remind me of mommy! And now that she's gone, who will-" the petite being broke into tears again.

The young man stood silent for a moment. He didn't expect this kid to grow attached to him this quickly.

And the crying unexpectedly stopped as the kid's face brightened, as if enlightened.

"Umm... Sir... How about you come with me? Wouldn't that be nice? You don't like to be here either, right?" she innocently asked.

"I can't come with you."

And his words made the tears come back.

"Why?"

"Because there is still someone I'm looking for in this place."

"Who is it?" Nina asked.

Asufall stood up. "Not of your business. Now please go rest while I go somewhere in order to report for duty.

He momentarily left.

Nina, in the first few minutes, sat there, watching the house.

Like all children, she was curious about the world, so she started to walk around, looking at the home decorations.

There wasn't much in reality, but it was already quite different from her former home.

Suddenly, she bumped into a storage tower she didn't notice while walking. A few papers which didn't mean anything to her fell down from it. But what caught her attention was the book which was left hanging at the tower's bottom.

Nina picked it up.

The cover page had the words "Journal of Sohko" written on it.

And so, determined to know more, she opened the book.

She started off with the first page.

Day 1 in the Empire: Everything changed from that day to this one. I woke up to the news that some wretched scientists, performed human experiment tests on my body while I was unconscious and drugged after my capture. I was declared an "experimental failure" (thus the project was abandoned) and dispatched to the army. Those friggin' bastards used me. THEY USED ME. THEY USED ME.

The girl's tiny breathing started to accelerate as she found herself reading about all the personal details of the owner.

A bit guilty about her acts, but not even trying to put a stop to it, she flipped over to page 14.

Day 16 in the Empire: I've gotten used to people around calling me "Ausfall", the name which was attributed to me, as a failed tentative. I've also started to feel the differences between my previous and current self. It seems that my muscles were strengthened on the inside, but I am still the same appearance-wise. Perhaps at the difference of a few scars or so.

With a last effort, she flipped to the final page and read what it contained.

After the battle with the 16th Rebellion: This kid seems somewhat more obedient than the last one, even if I hurt her more than a few times. Works for me since it'll be much less troublesome unlike that time I saved a boy earlier this month. That child didn't quite understand that I was trying to act as much as an Empire's soldier as possible not to rouse suspicions. And again, tonight, a small band tried to intimidate me. Bleh. I grew way too used to it to the point I don't even care anymore.

Suddenly, the conversation she heard a few nights earlier made sense. She indeed remembered a few men laughing at Ausfall.

The little girl stood silent for a moment, trying to compress all the knowledge she acquired. She had no idea that this young man lived a life like that. She had no idea what was going through his head.

And then, Nina heard approaching footsteps in the outside.

Swiftly, she placed the book back to its original position and sat on the sofa, acting as if nothing happened.

The door opened.

"Hey, Nina. On my way back, I bought a few things for you." Ausfall was back, carrying a small bag of treats, grinning like before.

But this time, she knew how much pain was buried deep within that smile.


	3. Like a brother

"Hey. Nina. Wake up. It's time to go." a voice in the dark whispered.

The little girl slowly sat up and rubber her eyes.

"Uh?"

Then, with a quick reflex, she grasped the situation. The little girl remembered what was told to her yesterday and quickly reached for the small sized soldier coat Ausfall happened to bring back this afternoon.

"We're gonna have to do this quickly though. Don't hesitate a single second about coming back here once you'll be out there. I'll give you my own horse so that you can run off as soon as you are out of the Empire's line of sight."

And both of them walked out of the house, retrieved the horse and headed towards the gate.

Once they got to the gatekeepers, Ausfall simply excused their trip as a "patrolling mission" and was thus able to march on with the little girl whom he ordered to mount on the horse earlier.

The woods were starting to get cold, signaling the arrival of winter.

"Uh... Sir...?" Nina asked timidly.

"Hm? What is it?" the young man asked, keeping up with the charger's walking speed.

"What would happen to me after I get transferred to the Revolutionary Army?"

"You might be able to choose to fight with them. Or maybe just stay with the population to remain safe." the young man responded calmly. "Either ways, it's your choice, not mine."

The little girl stared at Ausfall. "Umm, if you were me, what would you choose?"

He shrugged lightly. "Don't expect any answers from me. My choice might not be the best one for you."

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the dark, grazing the young man's right shoulder.

"Well, well, well. Look who's here. It's the failure."

Ausfall clenched his fists. "You... Kay..."

Nina couldn't recognize the face, but the voice sure was familiar.

It was as mocking as the one which chanted "Get lost!" at her master a few nights ago.

And as her memory recalled, there wasn't only a single person who bullied Ausfall.

Seven more soldiers walked out of the shadows, cruelly grinning.

"We knew that something was up we always saw you torturing kids, but never kill them. Something was wrong. One by one, your prisoners went missing. Care to explain why?" Kay asked sarcastically.

The young man glared at the leader. "None of your business."

"Oh, it is. I think I know what you're planning, failure. You are tryin' to save that kid by giving her to the Revolutionary army! The path you're taking right now pretty much gives it away!"

Caught red-handed, Ausfall bit his lips. He had no answers to that.

"Your acting was great. But your plan is going to backfire, just like the failure you are! We, elite soldiers of the Empire simply outsmarted you!"

The young man's expression became dark.

"Now... Time to execute the traitor! And we'll be taking our prize after we do!"

The eight soldiers readied their weapons, smiling. This will be a piece of cake.

Hearing the word "prize", the one called "failure" furiously drew out a gun from his long coat.

"You... BY PRIZE... WHAT DID YOU MEAN!?" he yelled out of anger.

The leader of the gang chuckled. "Well of course it's going to be that girl over there!"

Nina trembled and closed her eyes tight. She didn't want everything to go to nothingness at this point. They already went this far...

With inhuman speed, the young man rushed towards the group of soldiers.

He spared them on that night.

But he wasn't ready to make the same mistake.

"YOU... BASTARDS!"

It was as if he was the physical emanation of the sin named "rage".

The young man took an arrow on his left arm, but it didn't hurt him.

His own past hurt him more than a stabbing sword.

His daily life was more painful than any kinds of torture he'd ever go through.

With a determination of steel, he stopped one of the men's blades with his empty left hand.

"STRUGGLE ALL YOU WANT, FAILURE, IN THE END, YOU ARE STILL A WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH!" the leader hammered down his iron club on Ausfall's head, cowardly attacking from behind.

"No!" the tiny girl screamed as she saw her hero getting hurt.

Alas, he tumbled a bit and heavily crashed on the ground.

Now that the pest was gone, the men could finally sweep their rewards.

"Hehe, little girl, everything is going to be alright." a disgusting-looking man shoved her off of the horse. "You'll be forgetting everything else as you stay with me.

"NOOO!" the girl yelled again.

The cruel men all approached her.

"Hehe, little miss, wouldn't you rather go with me?" another one said with a dark smile.

A rustle from behind made them all turn around.

The young man, even bleeding to the point one would nearly die, stood back up.

His forehead was soaked in blood. But he couldn't care less. There were more important things he'd rather pay attention to.

"HUH!? HE'S STILL ALIVE!?" one of the soldiers yelled in terror.

One clean cut split the man in half as Ausfall whipped out a shortsword he hid in his coat.

Then, like a raging dragon, the young man roared.

"YOU THINK THIS HURTS!? THIS PAIN DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED BEFORE!"

The remaining seven soldiers backed down. "Huh?! How?! He got struck on the head, yet he's still standing!?"

Ausfall reached for his forehead, wiping off the blood which streamed down his face.

Under the gentle light of the moon, he looked more like a vengeful spirit than a common soldier.

"You... the one who failed to become the 49th Teiguu... How could you become so strong!?"

The ignorance was strong among these soldiers, he thought. So apparently the lab didn't inform the army about their experiments' characteristics before dumping them in.

"A Bio-Teiguu needs to remain obedient. One must have the right brain to remain perfectly obedient to the master." Ausfall revealed while reaching for an ammo clip under his coat.

With a stunning speed, he inserted seven bullets into his gun.

"Reason why they didn't go further in their experiment to enhance my power is because..."

He lifted the firearm and shot down one of the soldiers in cold blood.

"... those who possess such brain were extremely rare. The task was executed on a random prisoner of war. I was selected among hundreds because fate decided so. No man is ready to completely kneel before anything. No man is ready to trade all of his freedom for power" he continued, while killing off another one.

"Especially me. The same goes with the Revolutionary Army as well. Safety? Heh, what is that? They'd rather die than kneel in front of the Empire."

He fired out all five remaining bullets and slaughtered the remnants in a flash.

"That's why I'm considered a failure. Just like all human beings." he explained, as his victims took their final breaths.

It was still night.

But the bloodied forest was now silent.

Nina, overjoyed, yet somewhat horrified after seeing that killing spree, dismounted. She ran to the young man and hugged him.

"A-are you ok!?" she asked.

The young man spat blood on the ground.

"Yeah. I'm good. Let's carry on with our traveling, shall we?"

"What about you?!"

Ausfall shrugged lightly. "That was nothing compared to what you've been through, little girl. Keep that in mind."

Standing back up, he grabbed the little girl, put her back on his horse's seat and patted the animal.

"See? Even my horse didn't flee. Because it knew that I would get out of it alive."

***

"Huh!? Sohko!? Is that a new kid you're sending us!? Wow, this is like the twentieth and yet you still managed to survive all this time!?" the Revolutionary Army's gatekeeper praised.

"This time it was a little dangerous. Take good care of this girl, Glenn." Ausfall grinned, patting the young girl on her back.

Nina stood in place. She didn't talk, nor did she move.

The young man frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked. Go in. This is the last order I'm giving you."

She nodded timidly.

Glenn smiled as the gates opened. "Welcome to the Revolutionary Army's base. We're more than happy to accept you."

Nina walked away from the "failure", momentarily turning around to observe her hero with every single step she took.

Ausfall didn't say anything, but waved.

Finally, she was in the base, but she was still staring at Ausfall.

The young girl hesitated a bit as the gates closed on her.

She gave a big smile, with tears in her eyes.

"If you were born into my family... you would be the most perfect big brother I've ever had." she shouted at the young man who was already on his way back.

From afar, it appeared that he was also tearing up, but was too prideful to show it.

***

On the next morning, Esdeath received a message which was specially delivered to her.

She opened it, uninterested. Probably another boring report.

But soon, an ironic smile was drawn on her face.

The report was written by Ausfall and it was mentioned in it that he killed eight "traitors" who were "closely collaborating with the Revolutionary Army" during a patrol last night. It also specified that the bodies were already properly disposed of, so there wasn't any need for burials.


	4. The letter

Two days passed since that fateful night and Ausfall was back to his daily routine. Soldiers returning from war were given three days of break. And so, the young man decided to rest and see his friends for a change.

As usual, he called Bors to take a drink with him.

The two of them go way back. It was when the young man just happened to transfer to the army and was first sent to the Incineration Squad for a tryout. There, he met Bors, whom he deeply respected, despite knowing about the atrocities that man commits on weekly basis.

With time, Ausfall was sent elsewhere, but they kept hanging out with each other whenever they had the time. That was why Bors, despite being shy, didn't mind unmasking himself in a darker corner of a bar in front of Ausfall to drink with him.

"Hey, how are you? And are your wife and kid well?" he asked the giant.

"I'm doing fine and ah, they are quite healthy, thanks for asking. And you? How is it going for you?"

The young man shrugged lightly, smiling. "Haha, you know, I'm a soldier. Things are rough at times!" he said.

Bors nodded. "Ah yes, I called you here for a reason, as always. I have a friend named Elisia who lives on the western borders of the Empire. I will be extremely busy starting tomorrow, so please, do me a favor..."

Ausfall was then handed a small letter.

"Hm? So simply put, you need me to deliver this letter to her? Ez enough." The young man emptied his glass of wine and grinned. "No problem. I'll get it delivered to them soon enough."

***

~Before the year 1020 of the Imperial Calendar~

Sohko fell to his knees in front of the Empire's soldiers. They were simply too strong for him.

At birth, he was a tough boy who was able defeat a low-class Danger Beast. He was the son of the leader of his tribe, so it was expected that he would be born a great fighter. He was, however, completely overshadowed by his bigger sister who was three years older than him. And then, more than ever, he had developed a certain weird behaviour as he grew up. To put it simply, he resembled much more to his somewhat weaker mother.

"Eat or be eaten. The stronger will always preside over the weak." was what he was told from the start of his childhood.

The point is, he never listened to anybody.

And then the day came when his father came back with a bloodied stallion, considered as a medium class Danger Beast, trying to train his son to become a man, as an act of fatherly love.

It was a magnificent-looking animal. Even when hurt, it stood straight and held its head up high.

And so, Sohko was left with the hurt stallion-like being for the whole afternoon.

Against all expectations, however, instead of using the knife which was given to him to finish off the animal, he cut down a few pieces of his clothing to cover up its wounds. He even gave it water and some food.

At night, when his parent came back, expecting to see a dying corpse, the boy honestly told him the truth.

Infuriated, his own father exiled him from the village, deeming him a disgrace to the family.

From that point on, the memory his whole existence was erased from his homeland, forgotten by all.

The boy, just like a weed, hung on to life and was then adopted by a family from a town close to the northern borders renowned for its peace-loving citizens.

His people may have forgotten him, but he had never forgotten his own people.

He remembered the face of his father.

He remembered the face of his more caring mother.

And he would always remember the face of his terrifying sister who paid no attention to him whatsoever.

Even when she somehow turned into a cold-hearted monster of ice he was unable to protect his new home from.

Ah, it wasn't even a fight. It was total domination.

And that was how he became a prisoner of war.

And that was how his name got replaced.

***  
~Present time~

"Damn. This is nonsense." Ausfall complained as he stared at the moon, untying his hair, ready to go to sleep.

He almost arrived to destination, but it was at a certain cost. His horse died out in the fortified city of Shisuikan when he went past through it two days ago.

He didn't mind walking, but what really hurt him was the death of his companion. This one carried him in many battles and even though the soldier gave it frequent rests and meals, old age and illness would ultimately prevail.

It was night, and owls were already out to hunt their prey.

It wasn't that cold outside (he did wear his army coat though), however, just to shine a bit of light in the darkness, the young man piled up some wood and started a fire.

He was all alone, sitting in front of the fire, eating some canned food he bought in Shisuikan.

He was bored and tired of staring at insects climbing up a tree and the overall greenish dark scenery.

Curiosity overtook him.

He wondered what possibly could be hidden within the letter he was about to deliver.

Nah, he thought. It was something private, so he'd better not look into it. Bors wouldn't like that at all.

Suddenly, as he put the letter back into his bag, a tune could be heard.

Ausfall could easily guess that it wasn't a local player, as the sound came from a musical instrument he had never heard before.

He stood up and saw a brown-haired teenager who wore dark green pants and a regular shirt. The boy held a mysterious object in his hands.

"Nice piece." he simply commented.

"Ah, thank you. Say, sir, would you know in which direction the capital city of The Empire lies?"

"It's straight ahead. You might wanna go past the city of Shisuikan to buy a few things to eat and drink and then after around three days of walk, you should get there."

The musician smiled. "Haha, thanks, sir!"

Ausfall then took a step forward to analyze that thing the boy held.

Noticing the soldier's curiosity, the music player explained how it worked and what it was: "This is what my country calls a bagpipe. I am currently trying to get to Shisuikan in order to make a living!"

"Hm? By country you mean...?"

"I'm not from this Empire. I am a traveler."

"Ah I see. Well then, have a nice and safe trip!"

***

After buying a few souvenirs upon his arrival to town on the afternoon, Ausfall went around asking for the address location. The local population, however, seemed extremely scared of him for some reasons, so the couple he asked answered right away while panicking.

The town's guards seemed menacing, so the soldier didn't feel like talking to them.

Then, he noticed a half-burnt stake along with a small pile of ash in the bottom.

"Hey, you." he asked an extremely skinny man who stood nearby.

No replies.

The man was too busy crying.

"HEY SIR!"

Instantly this time, the one he was talking to jumped.

"W-what do you want!?"

"I just want to know what happened to the stake over there."

Tears rolled down the man's face. "My wife was innocent! My wife was innocent!."

Ausfall sighed and took out a small pouch of coins from his coat.

"Take care." he said, gently throwing it to the man as he left.

The feeling in this small town disgusted him even more than the army did.

However, he still had to keep his promise to Bors.

Without further delays, he found the said house and knocked on its door.

He heard footsteps coming out from it, which was a good sign.

A guard came out of it.

The guy definitely didn't fit the image of the one Ausfall was looking for.

A bit confused, the young man still did as he planned.

"Uhm. Hello? May I speak to Miss Elisia?"

The man in front of him grinned. "You mean that witch who got burned a month ago? Haha, don't look for her. She's gone already! Good riddance!"

The mail carrier widened his eyes.

And he dropped the letter he held in his hand.

The money Bors included scattered as it fell to the ground.


	5. His inspiration

Chapter 5: His inspiration

"Your friend moved away without leaving a note." Ausfal lied, handing the letter back to Bors.

"Oh...? I guess she didn't need my help in the end..." his friend sighed in relief.

The young man didn't feel well and was somewhat moody ever since his return to the capital, so he quickly excused himself. As he walked through the streets, going back home, a constant headache hammered his conscience.

He traveled for a long time in order to get to see Bors' friend, but she died before he could even reach her.

So what if the one person he was looking for in this Capital was actually dead already, just like the young girl?

He's been fighting for survival in this wretched country and resisted to the temptation of running away to stand alongside the rebel for the sake of seeking out that ONE person.

Ausfall's steps became heavier and heavier, eventually he could barely even walk anymore.

Could it be true? Could it be true that what he's been looking for already perished?

Yes, he's dead, and you have no more business over here.

No, he isn't, just keep the dream alive. You know you can find him.

Voices were speaking to him as he crashed to the ground, unable to think thoroughly.

And then, the blacked out.

***

~Four years ago~

"Kid, what is your name?" a blond, eye-scarred and leather clothes-wearing man asked the boy. "Mine is August."

The teen said nothing, intently gazing around.

"Alright, tell me, where do you come from?" the man attempted again, trying to sound friendlier than ever, but it still resulted nothing. Unable to get any answers from the strange boy, he let him rest and recover instead.

The young boy, while nobody was there, touched the left part of his face where his father hit him while exiling him from the clan. It didn't hurt anymore, but sometimes, he would cringe whenever he recalled it. He gritted his teeth. Why did that even happen? Did that mean that the world rejected him because he wouldn't follow the "big fishes eat small ones" principle?

Suddenly, he was startled by a pained cry of an animal, a familiar sound he'd hear every single day back in his homeland, be it alongside his mother, father or any other acquaintances.

He quickly ran towards the source of the screech to see the August applying a liquid onto an unknown animal's leg.

"What are you doing?!" the boy yelled, somewhat angered.

Then, the man summed up his work, wrapping the visible wound with bandages on the being's leg, leaving it alone afterwards. "Just doing my work. Disinfected the wound" he replied.

The teen widened his eyes. "Wha-? Aren't you going to eat it? Aren't you going to kill it?"

The man chuckled. "Haha, why would I?"

Why would he? The teen knew the answer to it, the very same quote his father taught him ever since he was young, the one he never followed.

"B-Because the strongest takes down the weakest, no?" he said with a broken voice.

"Kid, why do you think that the weak exists?"

The boy stared at August, unable to reply.

"Think of it as a test from life, eh? The stronger you are, the better you can help out the weak, yes? Now don't you think, kid, that strength itself can be measured by the number of weak beings one is able to protect?"

The grown man then grinned. "So, kid, your name?"

"Sohko, that's what my father called me."

"Mine is August in case you forgot. Pleased to meet you."

***

~Present time~

"Hello? Are you alive?" a feminine voice called Ausfall.

The young man slowly opened his eyes while grumbling a bit.

"Are you okay?" the lady asked him.

"...No." the young man replied.

"I found you lying on the streets, so I decided to pick you up."

Ausfall nodded. "Thanks a lot." He stood up with some difficulty, still having to deal with a small headache.

"Eh? Are you leaving before supper? Today we have a very special meal! My husband and I live alone, so it would be nice to have a visitor for once!" the woman said cheerfully.

The young man shook his head. "No, it's alright." he replied dryly.

"Then would you like to stay here overnight? It would be very impolite of us to send a visitor out in the capital at such a late time."

Ausfall glanced at her. "Fine then, show me my room please." he said.

It's a pretty rich house, the young man thought.

There were rare paintings everywhere and even the carpets were made of quality material, not to even speak of the insane number of jewels that the lady wore.

He didn't trust her at all. Chances were, she was a corrupt wife of a corrupt husband involved in illegal trades.

"There, here's your room. Please rest well for the night."

The young man gave a light shrug. He wasn't going to sleep anyways.

***

~Four years ago~

"Sohko, do you know that every time a person dies, a star appears somewhere up in the sky?"

The boy shrugged.

"Really? I didn't know... Poor people..."

August smiled. "It's alright. Passing away isn't bad. It's simply a new step for the world which will live on, bearing all the dead's memories that will be engraved upon those who knew him or her."

"Say August... Are you going to die one day?"

Sohko's mentor laughed. "Of course. And on that day, you will be carrying on all the lessons I've taught you. I will live on as you carry on with what memories I left you to serve the weak."

***

~Present time~

"Aw, I wonder how much he's going to scream today... Hehe, I can't wait to see him in agony..." the woman quietly smiled as she walked down the hallway.

Ausfall didn't get what she meant, but proceeded to follow her from close.

She then opened the mansion's door and went into some sort of abandoned house.

Just what was up with her? It was so late at night, yet she's getting up?

The young man crawled past the guards who seemed to be dozing off, which was a good thing for him.

A familiar cry could be heard as he approached the old abandoned house.

The sort of familiar sound he'd hear every single day back in his homeland, be it alongside his mother, father or any other acquaintances.

But this time, it was no animal. It was a man.

He peeked inside and widened his eyes as he took a glance at the horrible scene.

It was August, terribly wounded and crying for help while being tortured by the suspicious lady.

And then, the cruel scythe of fate ripped apart the bond between the boy and the man when the town was attacked by the Empire on the day the boy met his sister once again.

"August! August!" the boy cried as he saw his mentor and role model being dragged away by the Empire's soldiers.

"Run, Sohko! Run! All of us are in danger! You must survive!" August yelled back.

"I will rescue you, August! I will! I promise I will!" the boy said as he tumbled to the ground.

Then, time stopped when he saw his sister, his own blood sister.

Esdeath stepped on his head, smiling sadistically. He couldn't hear the words, but her lips moved in the way she'd pronounce "weak."

The general then kicked him away as another man took him as a prisoner of war.

And that was the beginning of Ausfall. That was the beginning of the quest to save his mentor.


	6. Empty shell

Chapter 6: An empty shell

Ausfall violently shoved the woman aside before she could whip her victim another time.

He then knelt by his long lost mentor's side.

August was pale and seemed terribly skinny. There was blood all over him. However, one who knew him well could always recognize him by his scarred eye, hair and height.

"You alright? It's me!" the soldier shook August.

No response. His mentor passed out.

However, by the time he realized it, the wretched lady called out her guards who were on their way already, as light could be seen coming in their direction.

And so, he carried August on his back and made a run for it.

"Look! He's escaping! Get him!" the guards yelled.

Crossbow bolts were fired out, aiming at Ausfall, who turned around and took some on his right leg, arms and left shoulder while dodging the rest, namely those which flew close to his neck.

It was not enough, however, to cripple him badly. He was no ordinary human. His body, although not being able to regenerate like a Bio Teigu, was able to withstand many hits, granting him endurance on the battlefield.

Ausfall then started running again, gathering as much speed as possible, despite being able to feel the pain from arrows.

"Look he's there! What is he trying to do?" the men saw him. Indeed, what was he trying to do, running towards a house?

With power comparable to that of a Danger Beast, he leaped on top of a building to hide from his assailants. It was not over. He needed to completely lose them, as they may just climb up the house to find him. Faster, faster! Ausfall leaped through countless of houses until finally, his strength was completely drained from him.

He then dropped off August as gently as possible, and fell down.

Silence came back in the neighbourhood as the echoes of upset, groaning men vanished.

Ausfall slowly sat up as he stared at the unconscious man.

He had mixed feelings about this reunion. He was finally able to find him after all these years, yet on the other hand, the conditions and circumstances of this fateful meeting were just terrible.

Without a slight moment of hesitation, the young man whipped out his first aid tools, the ones he always carried with him, be it during war or casual days, in or out of the Empire.

He disinfected August's wounds, wrapped a few up with the small quantity of bandage left. The treatment was over. Ausfall, once done, just sat beside his mentor without blinking.

It has been years since he had been looking for August. All this time, he served in the army, made a living in order to survive and find his mentor. August was his friend, father-like figure and inspiration. August was the reason why Ausfall didn't back off to the lines of the Revolutionary Army. The young man wanted to return the favour his mentor had done for him when he was but an exiled teenage boy.

Hours passed and the dim light of the rising sun finally revealed a man whose face was covered with a scarf, but that person still didn't wake up. However, the young man still stood beside him.

Finally, dawn's light illuminated the capital. And suddenly, August's hand started moving.

"August? August? You alright?" Ausfall asked with a slight smile, hoping that everything would be alright.

The weakened man said nothing. A tear rolled down on his right cheek.

"My wounds... are you the one who mended them?"

Ausfall nodded.

His mentor smiled a bit while closing his eyes. "The arrows on your body..."

"No problems. I'm immune to most physical damage. Long story." Ausfall pulled out the arrows one by one without wincing.

"You've grown, Sohko, boy..." August said weakly.

Ausfall payed no attention to what was just said and carried the man on his back, jumping down unto the streets.

"You really don't need to do this, my boy. I have lived long enough already. The Revolutionary Army needs young men like you, not old rusty geezers like me."

August was no weight. His mentor was the one who gave him the ability, as well as the reason to still stand, even after two days of sleeplessness."

People stared at the two in the streets.

"Look at him go, son. That is how a true soldier behaves. Helping the weak, the poor and the ill is their duty."

Such words were passed and whispered from parents to kids, from old to young among the worker class.

Ausfall ignored the pleads of his body which demanded sleep. He had but a single mission in mind: to return the kindness from years ago.

While every single step became heavier, the young man kept marching towards the Capital's borders with greater determination.

"I am sorry, Sohko... I really am..." August clenched his teeth while trying to keep his tears in.

"Sorry won't make me feel better. If only you can manage to smile, if only I can manage to return the smile you've given me years ago, I'd be satisfied."

Blood started to spill out of the old man's mouth as he suddenly started to cough extremely hard.

"August?!AUGUST!" Ausfall laid his mentor on the ground and sat beside him.

A passing man watched the two and declared: "That's an incurable disease, my friend. I'm afraid that your old man is nothing but a goner."

And then, when Ausfall turned around, August had already stopped breathing.

It was his journey's end. Abruptly, everything he fought for turned to nothingness.

The young man hammered the ground with his fists repeatedly, consumed by anger and bitter feelings.

No, no, no! That couldn't happen! Why him? What had he done wrong to lead such a miserable life?

Rain fell as he carried the soulless body of August to the nearest cemetery. It was strange. He did not recall rain drops to be salty.

After digging a proper grave for his mentor, the young man walked back home. The sky was dark and cloudy, so he was unable to see whether a new star was born or not.

Picking up his journal, he started to write again, putting in all his pain and sadness, in that one paragraph. When he was done, the notebook's corners were drenched. Perhaps it was the rain. Or maybe it was the overflowing tears.

The sky cleared up as one lone ray of light shone down. Ausfall clenched his fist as the last tear on his face dried up and looked into the mirror. But he couldn't see anybody anymore. The one in the mirror, was it still a man? Why did the person seem so meaningless? Why did the young man reflected by the mirror seem so meaningless? August gave him the life and childhood he needed. August was his inspiration. Saving the children during wars made him feel nostalgic and reminded him of himself. And now, with August's death, it seemed that what remained of "Sohko" was but an empty shell. It was as if the source of his mental strength finally perished.

***

"Boring, boring, these fights are way too boring. At this rate, I wouldn't be able to recruit a single person as my bodyguard..." General Esdeath could barely even open her eyes anymore, watching the excruciatingly simple battle scenes between fighters in the Colosseum.

"Ah, I am so sorry, lady Esdeath." the Colosseum host said with a hint of nervousness. "It appears that we don't have any good contenders today... Maybe the prize wasn't good enough?"

The feared ice general yawned as new fighters stepped in.

On one side, a gigantic man whose pride was probably even bigger than his huge hammer.

On the other side, however... The contender looked familiar to her.

Just that sole fact made her raise her eyebrows.

A young man with a modest, maybe even call it miserable appearance walked in. He wore a rippled soldier's coat, leather boots and seemingly carried nothing to fight with. She knew him, though never closely cooperated with that person.

The fight was swift: as soon as it started, the burly giant bashed his club on the comparatively tiny soldier.

One would expect the poor guy to be smashed in pieces, but it was not the case. With a solid stance, the young man took the hit, blocking the weapon with both his arms.

A shock wave was sent through the whole arena with that one clash, completely astonishing the crowd.

"Who is that man?"

"I've never seen a soldier like him!"

And then, while swiftly executing a 360 degrees jump to distance himself from the giant, the young man pulled out his gun and fired twice.

The first bullet pierced the leg of that giant, the second easily disarmed his opponent as it completely disabled the target's hand.

It was over. The brute couldn't even stand back up anymore.

General Esdeath smiled from afar. "I think I've found what I'm looking for..."

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you guys/girls think of it after reading so I can improve myself!


End file.
